Need your silverware for an important occasion? Make your silver shine like new using milk and lemon juice!
It is usually for important occasions that we take out and show off our finest tableware. These are typically the sets that remain safely stored in some piece of furniture all year round - and it is not uncommon for these sets to made of silver. They can be cutlery, placemats or even a tea service, but over time all these objects begin to show their age. Silverware, in fact, can quickly lose its luster and can become covered with dark specks. Fortunately, these dark spots can be removed in various ways.
In addition to specific products, many DIY methods can be used to restore your silverware. The most popular substances used are baking soda-based, and perhaps even tin foil. But there are also other ingredients that help take care of silver objects, for example, milk and lemon juice can come in handy. Read on to find out how to use these ingredients to clean your tarnished silverware.
Some plates, other dishes, decorative objects and also silverware (cutlery) are often made with sterling silver, which is an alloy that contains silver in a very high percentage, but also has traces of less precious metals - typically copper. However, the copper (which provides strength to the silver) is much more susceptible to oxidation and corrosion, so sterling silver tarnishes easily.
To remove this tarnish, you can use a home-made solution and this remedy is prepared and used as shown below:
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
- 60 grams of powdered milk.
- half a liter of warm water.
- Mix everything in a bowl (preferably a glass bowl), and immerse the tarnished silver objects into it. If there are ar lot of objects to clean, increase the doses above proportionally using a larger bowl (or a number of bowls). Leave the objects to soak overnight (and at least for 10-12 hours), then rinse and dry the objects carefully, using a microfibre cloth.
Another method, which is very similar, and which is recommended online as an alternative to the foregoing, involves the use of regular milk, with the possibility of using white vinegar instead of lemon juice with white vinegar. Prepare and use as follows:
- 1 tablespoon of white vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 240 ml of milk
- This method involves leaving the silverware to soak in the solution in a glass container - but only for half an hour. After this period of time, each piece should be washed with a little mild dish soap, rinsed and dried off carefully, always using a soft cloth.
Have you ever tried these remedies to clean your silverware?
